brownies

After a long, hard day, we tend to gravitate toward one of two things (sometimes both): booze or junk food. Last week, I just had to have junk food. Lucky for me, my wife made homemade, fudgy, super-chocolaty brownies. These things are so decadent, thanks to Dutch dark cocoa, espresso, and lots of butter, that there is no need to top them with ice cream. Just an ice cold glass of milk and a brownie – that’s all you need to turn any day around. Don’t believe me? Try them for yourself.

Decadent Fudge Brownie Recipe

Ingredients

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cup double dutch dark cocoa

1 tsp. coarse salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. espresso powder

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 cup unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

2 cups chocolate chips (mix it up to what you like – half dark, half milk, all milk, peanut butter – the world is your oyster, damnit)

Peeps. I love Peeps. And I love that the Peeps peeps are creating the sugar-coated marshmallow treats for just about every holiday. I even got a mint-flavored, Christmas tree shaped, chocolate covered peep in my stocking this year. So, you could imagine my excitement when I received a box of a variety of Peeps products at my door. The varieties ranged from vanilla creme hearts, raspberry and strawberry chocolate covered Peeps, strawberry creme Peeps, heartshappd marshmallow Peeps, even chocolate-dipped Peeps.

We loved the Peanut Butter Comfort Six Layer S’mores Bars so much that we decided to create a variation involving peeps…and maybe brownies. After debating chocolate chip vs. sugar cookie dough, we decided to go with a base of a sugar cookie. The result was something between a shortbread and graham cracker crust (maybe because there are whole graham crackers in the middle). Unfortunately, one tube of cookie dough was not enough, so we smothered the rest of the concoction with brownie batter. Between the cookie dough and brownie batter is whole graham crackers, chocolate mousse peeps, and chocolate chips.

Interestingly enough, the peeps kind of spread into every crevice available—even downward into the cookie dough. Every bite has a different texture. Sometimes the crunchiness of the graham cracker comes through, other times the chocolatey brownie and chocolate chips, and other times the gooey-ness of the marshmallow takes over. However, the flavor of the chocolate mousse is quite the complement to the overall taste. One thing I would change? More Peeps!

Making brownies is pretty easy. Flour, egg, cocoa powder, sugar, etc, etc. But nope, that was too hard for us. So we made brownie mix. Just dump the powder into a bowl and add oil, egg, and water. You thought it couldn’t get any more simple, but no! You were wrong. Because now we have a plastic jug that looks like laundry detergent, but it’s full of weird fake brownie potion that you just fill with water and squirt into a pan. NO!

Come on, guys. This is cheating at its absolute worst. Just make delicious homemade brownies instead. It might take a slight bit more effort (hell, breathing takes more effort than that jug o’ mix) but it will be worth your precious time. I promise.

This is an ice cream I created specifically to adorn brownies. Even more specifically, the Ancho Chile Brownies found in Robb Walsh’s Texas Eats, our most recent cookbook club pick. The ice cream is sweet and mellow at the start, and then swiftly kicks your throat’s balls with a spiciness that lingers only for a few seconds, keeping your spoon digging for more. It played perfectly with the brownies, but any chocolate pairing would work well.

Hot Pepper Ice Cream

If you haven’t noticed, next to beer, I favor sweets. I’d go so far as to say if it was an ideal world, I’d subscribe to Elf’s main food groups. Maybe not that far…but pretty close. Oreos are one of those foods that integrate sweet creaminess and crunchy chocolate to a different level. I’m sure there are Oreo purists out there who will only eat it one way—but for the adventurers among us, here are ten more ways to eat the number 1 sandwich cookie in America:

10. Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookie-on-cookie action! Some cookies you need to eat warm or wait until they get crispy. It seems like this one is enjoyable no matter when you chomp down on it. I’d still go for right out of the oven. Really—what’s better than the warm insides of a cookie?

ML had a July 4th party this past weekend and my girlfriend brought the slutty brownies (I know, I am a lucky man). Why “slutty brownies?” Because they’re so bad they’re good.

Biting into a slutty brownie brings you there unique layers and textures. There’s the cookie crust, creating the perfect base to set an Oreo in a bath of fudgy goodness. Then there’s the Oreo, which you’re kind of waiting for anxiously once you find out that somehow there is a whole Oreo in each piece of brownie. Finally, you have the fudge brownie, surrounding the Oreo and leaving nothing more to want but a glass of milk. Personally, I think this is the prime brownie for dunking.

Like its namesake, this recipe is easy, and the brownies move quickly.